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I am truly sorry that you can no longer engage in skiing. I get it. My dad was a community theater actor who got cast in virtually every show he auditioned for. Eventually his back and other conditions got bad enough that he can no longer do it. But I feel like your analogy is off a bit. You...

This. A couple of tips for those new to using AAP (or even FOTL if you're staying at a hotel that provides it) at Universal: Plan your day. You don't need spreadsheets and detailed guides like you do for Disney, but figure that the biggest rides (Hagrid's and Velocicoaster especially) will have...

As a former attractions CM, this is very much a gray area. I 100% agree with you that if you were helped up the ramp, you had a reasonable expectation of being helped down the ramp. The part that you couldn't have known, though, is that unless something has changed recently, CMs are not required...

Great! I'm so glad they were able to set you straight on it :) And I'm super happy to hear that they're no longer crazy backlogged. You made a great point here that I forgot to include in my ramble lol. Once you have that case number, that's it. You will not be denied at Guest Services in-park...

Based on conversations with my friend in Universal Guest Services (she isn't on the disability team, but she works side by side with them): The biggest issue they're seeing right now is people not being clear on the two-step process with IBCCES and Universal. IBCCES does approve for a wide...

No, you don't need to have a ticket purchased. My dad already had a Universal Orlando AP when he did his, but they went ahead and set him up with accommodations for Universal Hollywood when he expressed some interest in a possible future trip. When you fill out the IBCCES application and...

That's actually incorrect information. Once you are approved through IBCCES, you then have a phone call with Uni's disability accommodations team. They usually try to time it to a week or two before your trip, but you can call them at any time (call the main number and ask to be transferred to...

If you'd like to send it anonymously, have at it. I'm not really at a place in my head to want to deal with their whole canned response thing, but I certainly don't mind having them hear my thoughts :)

Dad applied right after they announced the program, and it took about 3 days to get approved through the third party and then another couple of weeks to get his call from Universal. I've heard that it's running a little faster now, but it wouldn't hurt to allow a month just to be sure. That...

Wow, if you haven't been in a few years, be prepared to be amazed! We are SO excited about Epic Universe!! Yay room service, but also don't be afraid to get out into the parks when you're feeling so-so. It's night and day from the difficulties at WDW. You will need to go through the third-party...

For my family, and many others we know in the local disabled community, Universal starting surpassing Disney as soon as Disney switched from GAC to DAS. And it's not even just that (or the FOTL option at the top resorts). It's also everything ELSE that Universal offers that Disney no longer...

Which is exactly what my father does. As I've mentioned, he has a higher level accommodation at Universal. But far from "abusing" it, he goes out of his way NOT to use it when he can manage. He's one of those ride nerds (as am I) who genuinely enjoys all the stuff in the queues. So if he's...

Which I completely understand. And it's why my dad won't pay for Disney admission if they will no longer accommodate him.

That's fair. I know each disability is different. I'm sorry your DD didn't have the hoped for experience at Universal Hollywood. I'm so sorry to hear this. I wouldn't wish these kinds of health challenges on my worst enemy. Dad gave up his Disney AP after seeing how much more painful a day at...

OK cool. Then all the people who genuinely NEED DAS switch over to Universal. Disney gets a massive black eye, and hopefully they finally wake up to the fact that giving lip service to disabilities (the inclusion key) isn't enough to pull them out of the spiral. Meanwhile, at least they're...

That suit was entirely different. First, it was based on autism, not physical disabilities. Second, they did away with GAC for everyone, not just people with the plaintiffs' specific condition. Third, Universal wasn't placed front and center in both the lawsuit and the media coverage. Fourth...

Me? Nothing. I don't use DAS. My father? Everything. Reread my many comments in this thread and others, where I've explained his exact conditions. Being confined in a line is agonizing, and if he has to do it for more than about 20 minutes, he's done not only for the day but for the next day as...

At a minimum, it would likely be a PR nightmare that Disney doesn't want. They literally just added "inclusion" as a key. I personally know at least one other person who is having the exact same concerns with Disney and the exact same accommodations as my father at Universal. Can you see the...

And it would be quite a legal lift for them to prove that providing DAS to my father falls into the "heroic, expensive efforts" category, when the park down the streets provides him with not their equivalent of a DAS, but actually a higher level of accommodations equivalent to the old GAC. And...

And this is another issue that is addressed with DAS but not G+. A lot of people who use DAS because of medical conditions can't ride the thrill rides, or at least not a lot of them in day. For example, my dad's doctor has given him clearance to ride anything, and he loves coasters. But his pain...